Showy Milkweed (Asclepias speciosa) on Seedskadee National Wildlife Refuge (18857700963)

Description:

Summary[edit] Description: It is easy to see how showy milkweed got its name. When it flowers it puts on quite a show. Its leaves host monarch caterpillars and its flowers provide nectar to adult monarchs, bumble bees, humming bird moths, and even hummingbirds. It grows along the margins of wet meadows where the soil has been disturbed on Seedskadee NWR. Once established, this perrennial plant hangs on for many years. The above ground stems die back and dissappear over the winter, only to re-emerge from the roots each spring. Photo: Tom Koerner/USFWS. Date: 3 July 2015, 17:59. Source: Showy Milkweed (Asclepias speciosa) on Seedskadee National Wildlife Refuge. Author: USFWS Mountain-Prairie.